• Source:JND
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JE Sports Desk:  The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held its 19th Apex Council meeting on Friday, July 7, 2023, in Mumbai.

Multiple points were discussed in the meeting that have been under the radar of discussion for a while. One of the major topics was regarding formulating a policy for Indian players (including retired players) with respect to their participation in overseas T20 leagues.

 

New policy in the making regarding Indian players' participation in overseas T20 leagues.

 

Indian cricketers can take part in overseas T20 leagues only after retirement, including the IPL. However, the emergence of several leagues, many featuring the IPL franchises have started a trend of players taking pre-mature retirement only in order to play the leagues all around the world.


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Currently, there is no policy on retired players playing in overseas leagues. However, BCCI is concerned that more and more players could opt for early retirement in the future backed by IPL-owned franchises in other countries as well.

The latest case scenario is of Ambati Rayudu who recently announced his retirement and is set to take part in the Major League Cricket (MLC) for the Texas Super Kings.

The issue was discussed with the possibility of bringing in a compulsory one-year cooling-off period or a No Objection Certificate from the board. The office bearers are expected to draft a policy with a cooling-off period in place very soon.

 “The BCCI is a bit worried that many Indian players will retire early to play in the various lucrative T20 leagues abroad, especially as many teams in these leagues are owned by IPL franchises. Hence, there’s a thought being given to perhaps introduce a cooling-off period,” TOI quoted a BCCI source as saying.

 

Upgradation of stadiums to undergo in two phases

 

BCCI confirmed the upgradation of stadiums in the country in two phases.

New floodlights and corporate boxes in Mumbai; a relaid pitch in Lucknow; upgraded dressing rooms in Kolkata; new outfield with imported grass in Dharamsala; a new makeshift roof in Pune; an upgraded ticketing system and improved toilets in Delhi. These are some of the projects confirmed by the board for the venues that will host the ICC ODI World Cup games in October-November.

However, in the Apex meeting, BCCI included the other phase of the stadiums' upgradation in the country with the venues having no World Cup matches also to be renovated in the second phase.

 


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World Cup games will be hosted in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Dharamsala, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Kolkata. Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram stage warm-up games.

Earlier, it was confirmed that every World Cup 2023 stadium will get a grant of Rs 50 crore to upgrade its infrastructure ahead of the big tournament. BCCI budgeted for more than Rs 500 crore to be distributed among the 10 World Cup venues.

A few other decisions were taken in the meeting including the approval of India's men's and women's cricket teams for participation in the upcoming Asian Games in China and the arrival of the IPL-style Impact Player rule in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.